!Dont look now but the Pirates have lost 10 straight to fall below .500. All the talk about about them breaking their run of losing might be premature.

!Twitter, for folks in the business of professional sports, seems to be the equivelent of passing notes in class in Middle School. It also has some of the same properties of beer goggles or flipping someone off in the car. You just wouldn’t do it without some built-in excuse or something to hide behind.

!I never saw Bubba Smith play, but seemed like a cool cat. I loved him with Dick Butkus in the Miller Lite commercials way back when.

!Have you ever heard a new defensive coordinator say he wasnt going to be aggressive or get after the quarterback??

!I was/am a fan of Derrick Mason, Willis McGahee, Kelly Gregg and, to a lesser degree, Todd Heap. But in the NFL, you have to know when to when. When. I have to wonder how long it will be before Mason starts making waves in New York.

!Anyone notice the Orioles have the second worst record in baseball this year. Wow. I thought 70-75 wins was possible back in March. But with the way the pitching disappeared, it looks really bleak. Perhaps now as bleak as any point in the last 14 seasons.

!Its still a little hard for me to believe Brian Billick hasnt been offered a NFL head coaching job. Nine seasons, only 3 losing records, four playoff appearences and a Super Bowl Title. All without a top notch QB at the helm (though he can shoulder some of that blame).

!Isnt it about time that Nick Markakis move to the leadoff spot in the O’s lineup. His average is higher and his power numbers are lower than current leadoff man JJ Hardy. It just seems sensible to swap the two to me.

!Anyone watch the two consecutive putouts at the plate in Friday’s O’s game? The second came as the suspended camera on the screen behind home plate captured the entire play. By far, the best camera angle in the game today. It should displace the centerfield camera as the primary shot.

!I’d think Tiger Woods’ ex-caddie would show a little more class after winning this weekend’s tourney with a new boss. After all, would anyone be putting a mic in his face if he wasn’t Tiger Woods’ ex-caddie??

!Finally, with the condensed off-season and flurry of moves in the NFL the last few weeks, have any two teams put a bigger target on them then the Eagles and Jets. Seems to me, the teams that make the big splash in the off-season are rarely making it in January.